Mashing-machine.



A. R. KELLER.

MASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 20. 1908.

927,976. A Patented July 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

lll miaszas mm rafi A. R. KELLER.

MASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1908.

927,97 6. Patented July 13, 1909.

iiNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREAS R. KELLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MA SHING-MACHINE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREAS R. KELLER, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mashing-Machines, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mashing machines and more particularly to a mashing machine of that class used in the manufacture of beer.

Heretofore in devices of this class the stirrers or beaters have usually traveled about in a circle and during such travel each stirrer remains stationary in its carrying arms or other support. As a consequence the contents of the tub are agitated entirely by the forward movement or travel of the stirrers and currents of the liquid mass are soon set up which travel around after the stirrers and prevent a thorough mixing of the grain with the wort.

The object of this invention is to provide a mashing machine in which the stirrers are not only caused to move about a central axis but are given a reciprocating rotary motion so as to throw the contents of the tub laterally therefrom and tend to break up the cur rents naturally formed in the paths of the stirrers.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means for causing the stirrers to remain stationary on their supporting arms and to set them at any desired angle to their direction of travel so as to move the grain either to or from the center of the tub as preferred.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described in the specification and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary central section of a device embodying my invention, and showing the stirrers and their supporting arms in side elevation, and with the upper portion of the main shaft turned at an angle of forty-five degrees to the lower portion thereof to more clearly show the means for reciprocating the stirrers. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevation, partly in section, of the stirrer arms and means for reciprocating the stirrers. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1908.

Patented July 18, 1909.

Serial No. 463,504.

D, which is held from rotation thereon by means of a key (Z seated in said shaft. The lower end of said sleeve is connected by means of a collar (Z to the upper end of the piston c of said jack, so that as said piston is moved up or down the sleeve is moved therewith.

Rigidly secured on the sleeve D at a distance from the bottom of the tub is a hub d on which is carried a plurality of laterally directed stirrer arms D. Journaled in said arms are the stirrer shafts (Z 011 which are the stirrer blades or stirrers (Z and of any preferred form and construction.

Rigidly secured on each stirrer shaft with the exception of the two next adjacent the main shaft B, is a collar (Z on which is a forked arm (Z which projects beyond the edge of the stirrer arms. The two stirrer shafts adjacent the main shaft also have collars (Z thereon but their arms (Z project from the opposite side of the stirrer arms, and the collar on the shaft next adjacent to each, toward the ends of the stirrer arms, is provided with an arm 6Z9 which is connected to the arm (Z by means of a-link al the purpose of which will hereinafter more clearly appear.

A reciprocating bar E is slidably but nonrotatively mounted in bearings 6 carried on the stirrer arms D, and the central portion e thereof is cylindrical. J ournaled on said cylindrical portion 6 isa sleevec which is also mounted in bearings c e carried on the hub (Z Rigidly secured to the sleeve 0 intermediate the bearings 0 is a gear c, and secured to each end of the sleeve is a cam member 6'', having a high and a low point thereon, the high and low points of one member being each diametrically opposed on the sleeve to like points of the other member. Cam members ec' are rigidly secured on the bar E adjacent the cam members e and are shaped complementally therewith, so that as the sleeve is rotated the cam members 6 act on the members a and reciprocate said bar longitudinally, and said bar is provided with coupling pinse which engage the forks of the arms d and act to reciprocate the stirrer shafts d on their axes.

Means are provided for rotating said sleeve 6 and thereby reciprocating the stirrer shafts on their axes, or for permitting said sleeves to remain idle with the stirrers set at any desired angle to their direction of travel. For this purpose a shaft F is journaled at its lower end in a bearing carried on the hub d in front of the sleeve 0 and the upper end thereof is journaled in a bracket f which is carried on a collar F, the latter of which is rigidly secured to the sleeve D. On the lower end of said shaft is a worm f in mesh with the gear 6, and j ournaled on the collar f is a gear 7 adapted to mesh with and drive a pinion f on the upper end of the shaft F. A gear f is also journaled on the collar fand is rigidly secured to the gear f and meshing therewith is an elongated pinion 7 which is supported in a bracket f secured to the top a of the tub. A horizontal shaft G is journaled in a bearing 9 on the top of the tub, and in a bracket g secured to the bracket f and to the top of the tub. A beveled pinion g is secured to the inner end of the shaft G and meshes with a like pinion g which is rigidly secured to the pinion f When it is desired to reciprocate the stirrer shafts (Z on their axes the shaft G is locked from rotation by means of a friction clutch, one member 9 of which, is mounted on the tub and the shaft is journaled therein. The other clutch member g is slidably but non-rotatively secured to the shaft G, and is adapted to coact with the member 9 in the usual manner. For the purpose of moving the member g into and out of engagement with the member 9, however, a shaft 9 is journaled in suitable bearings carried on the bracket g which supports the clutch member 9 and a -yoke g is carried on said shaft 9 and engages with the member 9 so that when said shaft 9 is rotated the yoke will move the member longitudinally of the shaft G. A gear 9 is secured on the shaft 9 and a worm 9 is supported adjacent thereto and meshes therewith, and when rotated acts to operate the yoke and throw said clutch members into or out of engagement.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the stirrers are not adapted to be raised up from the bottom of the tub and consequently the hub (Z is secured directly to the shaft B, and the gears f and f are journaled on the shaft B. Said gears are held in position by means of a collar H which is rigidly engaged on the shaft beneath the gears and is provided with a heating it in which the upper end of the shaft F is journaled.

The operation is as follows: l/Vhen the shaft B is rotated the stirrer arms are caused to revolve and move the stirrer through the contents of the tub. Vhcn the clutch members g and g are locked together the shaft G and the gears f and are held from rotation, and the pinion travels around the gear f and rotates the shaft F. the sleeve 0 to rotate on the cylindrical portion 6 of the bar E and thereby cause said bar to reciprocate and reciprocate the stirrer shafts on their axes. \Vhen it is desired that the stirrer shafts shall remain stationary in the stirrer arms the clutch members 9 7 are released and inasmuch as there is a great deal more resistance to the rotation of the shaft F than to the shaft G, the latter will be caused to rotate while the former and the stirrer shafts remain idle. When it is desired to set the stirrers at an angle to their direction of travel the shaft G is rotated by means of the hand Wheel 9 sufiiciently to turn the stirrers to the desired angle and they will remain in that position.

Obviously a mashing machine embodying my invention is adapted to stir the contents of the tub with great etficiency and to prevent the formation of currents in the paths of the stirrers, and obviously also many details of form and construction may be varied without departing from the principles of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a main shaft, of stirrer arms mounted thereon, stirrers mounted on said arms, a reciprocating bar connecting said stirrers, and means operated by the rotation of said shaft and adapted to reciprocate said bar and stirrers.

2. The combination with a main shaft, of stirrer arms mounted thereon, stirrers journaled on said arms, means adapted to adjust said stirrers, and a clutch mechanism connected with said means and adapted to reciprocate the stirrers when the shaft is operated.

3. The combination with a main shaft, of stirrer arms thereon, stirrers journaled on said arms, a reciprocating bar connecting said stirrers, a shaft journaled parallel to said main shaft, means adapted to rotate said shaft when the main shaft is operated, and operative connections between said shaft and the bar adapted to reciprocate the bar.

4:. The combination with a main shaft, of stirrer arms thereon, stirrers journaled on said arms, means connecting said stirrers, a constantly driven shaft, means operated by the main shaft adapted to drive said constantly driven shaft, and means inter posed between said constantly driven shaft The rotation of the shaft F causes and said bar and adapted to reciprocate the stirrers when the main shaft is operated.

5. The combination with a main shaft, of stirrer arms thereon, stirrers jonrnaled on said arms, a bar connecting said stirrers, cams on said bar, a shaft ournaled adjacent the main shaft and adapted to operate said cams, and operative connections between said shafts.

6. The combination with a rotative main shaft, of stirrer arms thereon and adapted to rotate therewith, stirrer shafts jonrnalcd in said arms, stirrers thereon, a bar slidably mounted on said arms, a rotative sleeve thereon, means for rotating said sleeve and coacting means on said sleeve and bar adapted to reciprocate said stirrer shafts.

7. The combination with a main rotative shaft, of stirrer arms thereon and adapted to rotate therewith, stirrer shafts jonrnaled in said arms, stirrers thereon, a bar connected with said stirrer shafts, mechanism adapted to reciprocate said bar and means for looking said mechanism in operative position.

8. The combination with a tub of a main rotative shaft therein, arms 011 said shaft, stirrer shafts ournaled in said arms, stirrers on said shafts, an arm on each stirrer shaft, a bar slidably mounted 011 said stirrer arms and connected with the arms on said stirrer shafts, a sleeve rotatively mounted on said bar, coacting cams on said sleeve and bar, a gear 011 said sleeve, a worm shaft journalcd parallel to the main shaft, a worm thereon adapted to mesh with said gear, a shaft journaled on the tub, a chain of gears interposed between said worm shaft and said last named shaft, and clutch mechanism adapted to lock said last named shaft from rotation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREAS R. KELLER.

Witnesses Roar. KLo'rz, GEORGE A. RUrI-Is. 

